Over the years I have gathered together old postcards or photos/cuttings of churches that I have not been able to identify and for seven years this page has been online and well over half have been solved - so mysteries no longer! Time at last to adapt these three pages into a mix of old and new puzzles. I believe that most are in the UK, probably England (unless mentioned), although with Victorian churches this is not certain. I would be grateful if any reader could offer suggestions, together with how certain they are (range 5% = not at all sure, to 100% = this is fact, don't question me!). Any clues that I have already are posted with the picture, and if identifed I will try and include these in any updates. For the other two pages of pictures click the links at the foot of the page.
| Mystery Picture 12 **Solved** This church, possibly medieval, but almost certainly with a Victorian octagonal tower/turret, has foxed someone with a larger archive than myself for many years. The postcard is postmarked Bristol but I have often found that the postmark is only helpful in 50% of mystery cards. Aidan MacRae Thompson kindly Emailed me on 2nd June 2009 having tracked this church down to Trowbridge in Wiltshire. This is St Stephen's Church, which was demolished in 1926! UPDATE September 2020 - Andrew Jones has also contacted me with more information. It "was Little Bethel Baptist chapel in Castle Street Trowbridge. Built as a Baptist chapel in 1826 but later in the 1850s it was sold and bought by the rector as an Anglican church" |
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Mystery Picture 13 **Solved** This church looks C20 to me, probably British but could be an American church. It is dedicated to St Augustine according to the card.
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| Mystery Picture 14 **Solved** This medieval church has a Victorian chancel, and at a guess would be in Northamptonshire, Leicestershire or Bedfordshire area. Should be an easy one. But took a long time because the top of the tower is no longer there, being removed following damage by a lightning strike in the later C20. This is St Mary, Everton, Bedfordshire
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Mystery Picture 15 **Solved** This simple church shouts "North Devon" to me, but could be on the other side of the Bristol channel, or across the border into Kernow territory (Cornwall!). Unusually what can be seen does not seem to be Perp., look at the plate traceried south-west window of the nave. But what date the unbuttressed tower, an C18 rebuilding of a C13 tower?
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| Mystery Picture 16 **Solved** Hopefully an easy one to finish, encaptioned St Stephen's Church, St Margaret's - which it was! This church is known as St Stephen East Twickenham. Thanks to Ruth and James for Emailing this suggestion and Frances in the parish office for confirming the identity.
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Thank you for your time, I find the pictures interesting, but it is frustrating not knowing where they are!
All three pages in this series have been updated with new pictures. Click on the links above to visit them if you haven't already!
